(Continues from A Salvadoran Samurai II)
In 1997, the boy now 28 years of age, won the election to become mayor of Zaragoza, a small city with a population of 20,000 and 21 sq kilometres in size. His party is Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN), formerly the guerrilla group, now a legal political party. He now devotes himself to developing communities in his jurisdiction according to the priority of people’s needs. He has strong interests in introducing sports and cultural activities for youth.
‘I never forget the experience, but do forgive them. It is the time to step forward,’ he gently smiled, surrounded by his wife and three small children.
Still, in this country, different social problems, from unemployment and public security to education remain. As long as this situation continues, his task will be far from accomplished. He, thus, in the samurai sense, still has quite a good reason to exist.
* * *
The mayor said: ‘I want to realize a society with human justice. This hope is not only mine but also everybody’s who died in vain.’
Justice was the most important code of the samurais. They called justice ‘the bone that gives firmness and stature to one’s behavior. That’s 義 (gi).’ The spirit of the samurai is not limited to people with the title of samurai; it is a code of ethics and humanity which can be seen in any person who holds moral principles as a human being. Jose Rodriguez is such a samurai.
END
*This article is based on an interview with Mayor José Rodriguez at his office in Zaragoza, El Salvador on 22 March, 1999.
